Average power rating of opponents played: COLUMBUS 3.11, CAROLINA 3.11

SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

COLUMBUS - Schedule

Date

Opponent

Score

SU

Line

ATS

Total

O/U

3/3/2014

at TORONTO

2-1

W

0, -110

W

5.5 ov

U

3/4/2014

DALLAS

4-2

W

0, -140

W

5.5 ev

O

3/6/2014

at CHICAGO

1-6

L

0, +165

L

5.5 ov

O

3/8/2014

at NASHVILLE

1-0

W

0, +100

W

5.5 un

U

3/11/2014

DETROIT

4-1

W

0, -120

W

5.5 un

U

3/13/2014

SAN JOSE

3-4

L

0, +110

L

5.5 un

O

3/15/2014

at MINNESOTA

2-1

W

0, +120

W

5 ov

U

3/18/2014

CAROLINA

1-3

L

0, -175

L

5.5 un

U

3/20/2014

at MONTREAL

3-2

W

0, +110

W

5.5 un

U

3/21/2014

NY RANGERS

1-3

L

0, +110

L

5 ov

U

3/23/2014

at NY ISLANDERS

0-2

L

0, -150

L

5.5 ov

U

3/25/2014

DETROIT

4-2

W

0, -145

W

5 ov

O

3/28/2014

PITTSBURGH

1-2

L

0, -110

L

5.5 un

U

3/29/2014

at CAROLINA

4/1/2014

COLORADO

4/3/2014

at PHILADELPHIA

4/4/2014

CHICAGO

4/6/2014

NY ISLANDERS

4/8/2014

PHOENIX

4/9/2014

at DALLAS

CAROLINA - Schedule

Date

Opponent

Score

SU

Line

ATS

Total

O/U

3/2/2014

at ANAHEIM

3-5

L

0, +180

L

5.5 un

O

3/4/2014

at SAN JOSE

3-2

W

0, +185

W

5.5 un

U

3/7/2014

NY RANGERS

2-4

L

0, +120

L

5 ov

O

3/8/2014

at NEW JERSEY

4-5

L

0, +115

L

5 ov

O

3/11/2014

NY RANGERS

3-1

W

0, +130

W

5 ov

U

3/13/2014

BUFFALO

4-2

W

0, -190

W

5.5 un

O

3/15/2014

at BOSTON

1-5

L

0, +175

L

5.5 un

O

3/16/2014

EDMONTON

1-2

L

0, -140

L

5.5 un

U

3/18/2014

at COLUMBUS

3-1

W

0, +155

W

5.5 un

U

3/21/2014

at CHICAGO

2-3

L

0, +175

L

5.5 un

U

3/22/2014

at WINNIPEG

3-2

W

0, +130

W

5.5 un

U

3/25/2014

NY ISLANDERS

4-5

L

0, -185

L

5.5 un

O

3/27/2014

at FLORIDA

3-0

W

0, -130

W

5.5 un

U

3/29/2014

COLUMBUS

3/31/2014

at OTTAWA

4/1/2014

at PITTSBURGH

4/3/2014

DALLAS

4/5/2014

NEW JERSEY

4/8/2014

at NY RANGERS

KEY GAME INFORMATION

COLUMBUS: COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The top three topics on sports talk shows in this city are usually Ohio State football, Ohio State football recruiting and Ohio State football's spring practices.
The Columbus Blue Jackets haven't upset that pecking order, although they are elbowing their way into the conversation.
Dead last in the league early in the NHL's shortened last season, the Blue Jackets suddenly found the winning touch. They went 19-5-5 down the stretch, energizing their fan base and shocking a lot of opponents used to walking over the 12-year-old franchise.
With the addition of free agent Nathan Horton to go with Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and a solid if largely unknown roster of proven pros, the Blue Jackets are expecting big things as they prep for a season of promise.

CAROLINA: RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - The Carolina Hurricanes could have an easier time filling their arena this season - and a tougher time getting back to the playoffs.
The NHL's realignment meant the end of the Southeast Division and placed the Hurricanes into the new Metropolitan Division.
A division packed with some of the league's most popular teams - Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, both New York teams, New Jersey and Washington - might lead to bigger crowds.
But it also figures to make ending their irksome postseason drought a much bigger challenge.

``It's going to be tough. It's a good division,'' defenseman Justin Faulk said. ``Obviously, there's a lot of teams that are pretty good. ... But we're looking forward to it. Every team's good in the league.

``I don't think you go into any game thinking you can just win every game,'' he added. ``Every night, anyone can win, and I think we're pretty confident with the group that we have in here to do a pretty good job.''
Since winning its only Stanley Cup in 2006, Carolina has reached the playoffs just once, in 2009. Among teams in the current configuration of the Eastern Conference, only Toronto and Columbus have not made the postseason since then.
That hasn't exactly been easy for the players to digest, goalie Cam Ward said.

``You can already sense the attitude. ... Guys are hungry and excited to get things going,'' Ward said.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are among four teams tied with 80 points battling for the Eastern Conference's wild-card spots.

The Blue Jackets are unsure of the status of top goalie Sergei Bobrovsky as they try to improve their postseason position Saturday night on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Columbus (37-30-6) failed to get a leg up on the competition Friday, losing 2-1 at home to Pittsburgh. Toronto also lost in regulation and Washington and Detroit were idle among the other teams with 80 points.

"We gotta put this one behind us right away and start focusing on Carolina," coach Todd Richards said.

Bobrovsky did not play after the reigning Vezina Trophy winner left after one period due to the flu in Tuesday's 4-2 win over Detroit. Curtis McElhinney replaced him in that contest and made 29 saves Friday.

The Blue Jackets recalled goalie Mike McKenna from Springfield of the AHL as insurance Thursday, though Bobrovsky will travel to Carolina.

Richards said that he will assess what he needs to do to jump-start the Blue Jackets in the second half of a back-to-back set.

"Possibility of getting some guys in the lineup just to maybe try to get some fresh legs, and some more energy, some new energy," the coach said. "But that stuff, that we'll discuss as a group. But as far as there's nothing systematically, as far as what Carolina does and what we need to address as a group."

Columbus has shown improvement on the power play, going 3 for 8 in the last two games after an 0-for-35 drought.

Second-year center Ryan Johansen remains one goal shy of joining Rick Nash and Geoff Sanderson as the only Blue Jackets in history to score 30 in a season.

Right behind Johansen is Carolina top goal scorer Jeff Skinner, who is three shy of his career best with 28.

The Blue Jackets and Hurricanes have split four meetings. The last three featured goalie matchups between Bobrovsky and Anton Khudobin.

Khudobin is 2-1-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average in those games. He had 35 saves for his first shutout of the season in Thursday's 3-0 victory over Florida.

"He's been playing so well all year," coach Kirk Muller said. "I know the score was 3-0 tonight but we still make it interesting and make some mistakes but he's there to make up for it."

Jiri Tlusty scored twice and Skinner had the other tally for Carolina, which has 73 points.

"There's a lot of fight in the guys still," Muller said. "You approach it still as one game at a time."

Carolina opponents are 0 for 16 on the power play in the last five games and Columbus is 1 for 10 with the man advantage in the season series.

Matt Calvert had the lone goal Friday for the Blue Jackets, losers of three of four.

"We have to understand the urgency and desperation we have to come out (at Carolina)," defenseman James Wisniewski said.